#169: U Fleku (pg 295; Listed as Czech Beer in 2nd Ed, pg 289)

May 29, 2015

U Fleku is the city's oldest brewing pub.  It is famous for its dark lager and modest prices.

Prague's most popular beer hall.

Verdict:  No.  Then again, I'm not a beer drinker.  Prague is famous for it's beer, so if you happen to be a beer drinker, then this is definitely worth a stop.  Great atmosphere and great prices.  But not something you have to do before you die.... especially if you don't drink beer!

#168: Estates Theatre

May 29, 2015

Don't you hate it when you go to something you're super excited about seeing and getting pictures of and then you find it..... covered in scaffolding?  Bummer.  But hey, I suppose a building from the 1700's deserves a little restoration and TLC now and then ;)

The Estates Theatre is most famous for its tie to Wolf gang Amadeus Mozart.  It was here that the premier performance of Don Giovanni was performed and he was there to conduct it himself, in 1787.  It is still performed there on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, it was not performed there during the 3 nights we were there, but there are all kinds of performances played here.  Walk across the street to the box office for a list of current performances and prices (which are very reasonable!).  

Verdict:  No.  The theatre is beautiful and has amazing history and worth seeing if you happen to be in Prague.  But, it is not something you have to see/do before you die UNLESS you happen to be a die hard Mozart fan.  Well, then, of course you have to go!

#167: Castle District (pg 292; 2nd Ed pg 291)

May 29, 2015

So, when I first pictured us going to the "Castle District", I thought we were going to an area that had several castles that we could see from the outside and go inside of as well.  But when we got there, we kept wandering around trying to find the castles.  Well, here is what I learned:  The term "Castle District"basically refers to Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral and the surrounding land.  Prague Castle is the metaphorical and historical throne of the Czech lands.  The President of the Czech Republic resides here.  The area includes the Old Royal Palace, the South Gardens, St. George's Basilica, etc.  BUT, it is not an area with a bunch of castles like I pictured it being.  

St. Vitus Cathedral

The inside of St. Vitus Cathedral

On our walk up to the District.  Beautiful views!

A view from the back of the cathedral.

Verdict:  No.  Prague is such a walkable city and you would never come to Prague and not go to the Castle District.  However, in my opinion, Old Town Square and Charles Bridge had more charm than this area.  Here, we walked around for an hour or two, went inside the cathedral, and moved on with our day.  A nice place to see and a very impressive cathedral, but not a must do before you die.

#166: Charles Bridge (pg 293)

May 28, 2015

Charles Bridge

The view of the Castle District from the bridge, which spans the Vltava River.

Charles Bridge was commissioned by Charles IV (go figure!) in 1357.  

There are 36 Baroque saints which are located at various points across the bridge.  This statue of the crucifixion is located at the half way point.

Verdict:  Hmmm.... well, this kind of falls in line with what I said about Old Town.  It's not that you necessarily HAVE to see Charles Bridge before you die.  It's a beautiful, historic, scenic, pedestrian-only bridge offering you the chance to meander at your own pace and just soak in the sights and sounds of everything around you.  BUT, it's just a bridge.  However.... you have to see Prague at least once in your life and nobody would ever dream of going to Prague and not experiencing a walk across the famed Charles Bridge.

#165: Old Town Square (pg 294; 2nd Ed pg 290)

Church of Our Lady of Tyn

So much of Prague is so beautifully old and preserved in all it's glory, as it was thankfully spared from being bombed during WWII.

The famous 600+ year old Astronomical Clock on the side of the old Town Hall.

Verdict:  Yes.  Here's the thing.... it's not that Old Town Square is the end all be all, but visiting Prague is a must-do.  It is such a charming, historic, beautiful, fun city.  And you can't visit Prague without going to the Old Town Square.  It is the heart of Prague and central to everything else.  Such a fun place to gather, to eat, to shop and to people watch.

#164: Taillevent (pg 120)

Yes, we took a motorcycle to Le Teaillevent.  I'm pretty sure we might be the only people to ever do that.

The menu

The entrance

I love their symbol.  

The Trianon Room

Another view of the Trianon Room

Beautiful staircase that you pass by when walking from the Trianon Room to the Lamennais Room.

There are a total of two dining rooms.  

Here I am with the menu, that the lovely Assistant Manager, Claire Chloe gave me to keep as a souvineer.  

Prices:  If you want the experience without selling the shirt off your back, try coming here for lunch.  The lunch menu is 88 Euros/person (104 Euros including drinks).  For dinner, bring your wallet.... it is 218 Euros/person for the Tasting and Discovery Menu or 278 Euros for the Seasonal Menu.  These prices include service and taxes but not drinks.

Verdict:  No.  I am not a foodie so unlikely any of these gourmet over the top restaurants listed in this book will actually make my "Yes" list.  It's hard for me to ever justify spending hundreds of dollars on one meal.  BUT, if you are a foodie and you are in Paris, then by all means, call a couple months ahead and make a reservation here.  You won't be disappointed.  Especially if you're a wine lover.... they boast a wine list with thousands of options.  

#163: Normandy's D-Day Beaches (pg 114) (pg 111 2nd Ed)

May 25, 2015

Memorial Day

What a perfect, appropriate place to be....... the beaches of Normandy.

The ENTIRE area at Pointe du Hoc is COVERED with massive craters leftover from the incessant bombing in June of 1944.

The names of the U.S. Rangers killed here

The original barbed wire is still present.

You can go down into these bunkers and just picture the Germans from their fortified positions shooting at the troops as they approached.

As we all now know, the Allied forces sustained heavy losses.  Nearly 30,000 Americans alone were killed in just a matter of days.  Such courage.  Such bravery. Such sacrifice.

But it was not in vain.  France was liberated.  Freedom prevailed.  And the end of World War II had begun.

Operation Overlord was the largest military operation in history with more than 5,000 ships and landing craft, 50,000 vehicles and 11,000 planes set to land on the beaches of Normandy, taking the Nazis by surprise.

The monument at Colleville-sur-Mer's American Cemetery, located on a cliff above Omaha Beach.

9,386 American soldiers are buried here.

Hallowed ground.

Omaha Beach

A small chapel lies at the far end of the cemetery.  

VERDICT:  YES!  This was such a moving experience.  I was there on Memorial Day and I am writing this blog post on June 6th, the 71st Anniversay of D-Day.  The cemetery is beautiful.  So well done.  Peaceful.  Serene.   Hallowed.  The museum is very well done.  Absolutely worth going inside (and free) before walking among the nearly 10,000 graves.  When you think about what these men did, how they did it and why they did it and look around picturing all of that happening right where you are standing, it is something that absolutely all freedom-loving people should experience.

#162: Hotel De Crillon (Pg 120)

The Hotel de Crillon opened in 1758.  It has been one of Paris's finest luxury hotels ever since.  History, beauty, service.....  I'm sure it's an incredible place to visit, stay and eat, but it also happens to be......

CLOSED

Boo!  It is currently undergoing a major renovation and on their official website, they don't list an opening date. Sooo....

VERDICT:  No.  For now.  Obviously there is nothing to see but a facade.  But I imagine that it is going to be one heck of a hotel once it reopens!  Whenever that is.....